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Thursday, 28 February 2013

Two more games of Burma Bolt Action

Adie deploys for the first game

Yesterday evening, Adie and myself had another couple of games of Bolt Action as Maunsfield Gaming.

I had picked a couple of 1000 point lists based upon the troops I have available as follows.

British

Headquarters
Units

Officer

95pts

First Lieutenant

Regular

Thompson SMG

Two additional men

Regular

SMLE Rifle

Forward Observer

10pts

Artillery Forward Observer

Regular

Thompson SMG

One additional man

Regular

SMLE Rifle

Infantry
Squads and Teams

Infantry Section

123pts

NCO

Regular

Thompson SMG

8 Riflemen

Regular

SMLE Rifle

1 Machine gunner

Regular

Bren LMG

Infantry Section

123pts

NCO

Regular

Thompson SMG

8 Riflemen

Regular

SMLE Rifle

1 Machine gunner

Regular

Bren LMG

Infantry Section

123pts

NCO

Regular

Sten SMG

8 Riflemen

Regular

SMLE Rifle

1 Machine gunner

Regular

Bren LMG

Veteran Infantry Section

150pts

NCO

Veteran

Sten SMG

8 Riflemen

Veteran

SMLE Rifle

1 Machine gunner

Veteran

Bren LMG

Machine Gun Team

50pts

Three men

Regular

Vickers MMG

PIAT Team

40pts

Two men

Regular

PIAT

Flamethrower Team

50pts

Two men

Regular

Flamethrower

Light Mortar Team

35pts

Two men

Regular

2” Mortar

Tanks

Sherman V

Regular

Sherman V

195pts

994pts

BOMBARDMENT

When rolling for the effects of a
Preparatory Bombardment instead of rolling one die on the results chart for
each enemy unit (p181) roll two dice and choose the best result

ARTILLERY SUPPORT

British armies can include one regular
Artillery Forward Observer for free.

Japanese

Headquarters
Units

Officer

103pts

First Lieutenant

Veteran

Sword & Pistol (Tough Fighter)

Additional man

Veteran

Type 100 SMG

Medic

30pts

Medic

Veteran

Pistol

Infantry
Squads and Teams

IJA Veteran Infantry Squad

163pts

NCO

Veteran

Ariska Rifle

9 Riflemen

Veteran

Ariska Rifle

1 Machine gunner

Veteran

Type 99 LMG

IJA Veteran Infantry Squad

163pts

NCO

Veteran

Ariska Rifle

9 Riflemen

Veteran

Ariska Rifle

1 Machine gunner

Veteran

Type 99 LMG

IJA Veteran Infantry Squad

163pts

NCO

Veteran

Ariska Rifle

9 Riflemen

Veteran

Ariska Rifle

1 Machine gunner

Veteran

Type 99 LMG

IJA Veteran Infantry Squad

124pts

NCO

Veteran

Ariska Rifle

6 Riflemen

Veteran

Ariska Rifle

1 Machine gunner

Veteran

Type 99 LMG

Machine Gun Team

50pts

Three men

Veteran

Type 92 MMG

Light Mortar Team

46pts

Two men

Veteran

Type 89 Grenade Launchers

Light Mortar Team

46pts

Two men

Veteran

Type 89 Grenade Launchers

Light Mortar Team

46pts

Two men

Veteran

Type 89 Grenade Launchers

Sniper Team

65pts

Two men

Veteran

Type 97 Sniper Rifle

999pts

DEATH
BEFORE DISHONOUR

Every unit in this list has the Fanatics
special rule, as described on page 70 of the Bolt Action rulebook. In addition,
infantry and artillery units automatically pass morale checks for being
assaulted by enemy tanks (note that artillery pieces are still destroyed as
normal).

BANZAI
CHARGE

If a Japanese infantry unit is ordered to
Run towards (or Charge) the closest visible enemy, any Order test for that move
is automatically passed, as if the unit had rolled a double one.

All models in the unit must then be moved
directly towards one of the models in the target unit, and must make contact
with the target unit if possible.

Note that a unit can be ordered to
Run/Charge in another direction, but in that case it will follow the normal
rules and the Banzai Charge rule has no effect.

Veteran infantry take the village elders house

Adie elected to use the Japanese, so that we could continue from where we left off last time.

The British list was what I had decided to use at the forthcoming event WAB GT Bolt Action event that was eventually cancelled. The Japanese was more cobbled together from all the stuff I have painted.

Japanese seize the jungle

We rolled up a mission and came up with Maximum Attrition - I must admit, not my favourite of the bunch. On the first urn, my Forward Artillery Observer called in his bombardment and at the start of the second turn I rolled a 6, the artillery was zeroed in. I then rolled a six for the diameter. Under the template was one of Adies infantry squads, two 50mm mortars and his sniper. Well my succession of sixes continued with both the infantry squad and the sniper being wiped out to a man and the two light mortars under a lot of pins. This is a complete reversal of my usual experience with my Artillery Forward Observer.

On turn three, after some excellent British shooting and a failed Banzai charge meant Adie was down to very little so we wrapped up that game and started again.

50mm mortar vs Sherman, not a fair fight

The second game we rolled up Hold Until Relieved and that went a lot better. Adie put me in defence so I put one infantry section and my light mortar in the objective, his initial bombardment missed my Forward Artillery Observer and put some pins onto the infantry section and the 2" Mortar. This time my Forward Artillery Observer was killed quite early on so I was unable to move the bombardment which did very little. Adie soon took the objective, the Rifle section and the 2" mortar being shot up far too easily (we don't give troops in the light buildings a 6+ damage roll as they are not substantial enough) .

HQ section orders a rifle section forwards

The Japs were soon swarming all over the village and the British counter attack went in, mainly consisting of a chap with a flame-thrower hiding behind the Sherman tank until he got into range. The Japanese section hit by the flame thrower suffered no casualties, but suffered four pins and rolled badly on the subsequent moral test and was removed.

At the end of the evening, both sides were contesting the objective so it was a draw with pretty much equal casualties on each side.

The second game went much better, although the Japanese do struggle against the Sherman tank. Historical of course, but not so good for game balance.